The storage of bicycles presents peculiar problems and opportunities because a bicycle is relatively long, narrow and lightweight. Bicycles typically are stored by placing the bicycle on a wall mount. The mount often is as simple as two spaced hooks extending from a wall, and the hooks may be specially adapted to receive the horizontal tube of the bicycle frame or the bicycle wheels. Various refinements of bicycle wall mounts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,883,002 to Moore, 3,976,200 to Munns, 4,136,782 to Hugel, 4,700,845 to Fretter, and 4,749,089 to Stewart, III.
A bicycle wall mount has limited utility, however. A wall mount primarily prevents the bicycle from falling over or being tipped over. It does not particularly protect the bicycle from being damaged by other objects nor remove the bicycle from trafficked areas. In addition, the wall mount itself may be an obstacle when it is not storing a bicycle.
One attempt to improve the utility of a bicycle wall mount is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,133 of Kropelnitski. The Kropelnitski patent discloses a bicycle mount contained on a vertical rail attached to a wall. The mount may be elevated manually by the use of a cable and pulley scheme. The elevated mount is secured by a pin inserted through the mount and rail. The Kropelnitski apparatus elevates the mounted bicycle, but is cumbersome to use.
It is desired, then, to have a bicycle mount that secures a bicycle from harm, positions the bicycle away from trafficked areas, is not an obstacle in itself when not storing a bicycle, and is easy to use.
The present invention comprises such a mount system for a bicycle or other object of similar characteristics. The mount system comprises a mount for securing a bicycle. The mount is preferably releasably coupled to an endless band moving within an elongated enclosed track. In the preferred embodiment, a motor drives the band, thus moving the mount along the track. The track preferably is attached vertically to a wall, and may also continue horizontally on a ceiling. The mount system is used by orienting the mount at a suitable height along the wall. A bicycle is secured in the mount. By operating the motor the mounted bicycle is moved up the wall and then across the ceiling. The motor may be remotely operated. By attaching a plurality of mounts to the band a plurality of bicycles can be sequentially moved along the track and stored. This may be accomplished by enabling the mounts to be releasably coupled to the band so that a mount disengaged on one portion of the track will remain stationary while the band is driven to move a successive bicycle to a location adjacent the first.
By using a counterweight on the endless band to offset the weight of the mount and the bicycle, manual raising and lowering of the bicycle can be accomplished with minimal effort.